Getting Ready to Buy
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by Susan Oneid
- October 5, 2019
- Uncategorized
- 0
Your Needs – Now and in the Future
Here are some things to consider:
Size
- How many bedrooms do you need?
- How many bathrooms do you need?
- Do you need space for a home office?
- What kind of parking facilities do you need?
- For how many cars?
Special Features
- Do you want air conditioning?
- If so, what type?
- Do you want storage or hobby space?
- Is a fireplace or a swimming pool high on your list?
- Do you have family members with special needs?
- Do you want special features to save energy, enhance indoor air quality, and reduce environmental impact?
Lifestyle and Stages
- Do you have/plan to have children?
- Do you have teenagers who will be moving away soon?
- Are you close to retirement?
- Will you need a home that will accommodate different stages of life?
What Location Should You Choose
- Do you want to live in a city, a town or in the countryside?
- How easy will it be to get to where you work?
- How much will the commuting cost?
- Where will your children go to school?
- How will they get there?
- Do you need a safe walking area, or recreational facility, such as a park, nearby?
- How close would you like to be to family and friends?
What type of home should you buy?
- Single family detached
- Single family semi-detached
- Duplex
- Row House (Townhouse)
- Stacked Townhouse
- Link or Carriage Home
- Modular Home
- Apartment
Forms of Ownership
Freehold
Freehold means that person(s) on title own the land and house outright. There is no space co-owned or co-managed with owners of other units.
Condominium
Condominium ownership means you own the unit you live in and share ownership rights for the common space of the building. Common space includes areas such as corridors, the grounds around the building, and facilities such as swimming pool, and recreation room. Condominium owners together control the common area through an owners’ association. The association makes decision about using and maintaining the common space. Condominium ownership is ownership of a unit, usually a high rise but can also be a townhouse or in a low rise.